Once Upon A Romance
by aldysgal aka Tiffany
Summary: When Jarod leads Miss Parker to the happiest place on earth, she finds more than she bargined for.


Disclaimer: They are not mine. I don't claim to own them; they belong to NBC and TNT and whoever else has a piece of them. I am just playing with them and promise to give them back as soon as I am done with them. As for Disney, I don't own it, but am having a little fun with it. I make no profit off such things. The song is "I can love you like that" by All 4 One and surprise, I don't own that either, etc.....

Author note: This is for my very own Fairy tale challenge. It has been knocking about and I decided to let it out. LOL It's kinda corny, so no throwing stones please, after all, it is a fairy tale. LOL Also just wanted to say a huge Thanks to Dianne who came to my rescue and is now my beta. Can't thank you enough, dear, your the best.

Title: Once upon a Romance

Author: Aldysgal aka Tiffany 

Rated: R 

Spoilers: After Island of the Haunted

Keywords: JMPR

Summary: When Jarod leads Miss Parker to the happiest place on earth she finds more than she bargained for. 

Miss Parker made her way through the masses of Main Street. Cursing under her breath, she maneuvered through groups of wailing, screaming sticky-handed children. She glanced over her shoulder to look at Broots, who seemed to be enjoying himself; he seemed perfectly at home in the happiest place on earth. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn that he had concocted this little adventure of theirs himself. Catching his eye, she shot him a 'get your ass over here' look. 

"Alright, Dr. Frankenstein, what in the hell is your little monster up to now?" Miss Parker sneered as Sydney came to stand beside her.

"I believe Jarod is reliving his childhood; attempting to do all of the things he might have done when he was a boy. I am concerned about his frame of mind since your return from the Island. I am afraid that perhaps the near miss with his mother was too much for him." Sydney answered, taking in his surroundings and smiling at Miss Parker's apparent unease. "They won't bite, Miss Parker, they are merely children."

Ignoring Sydney's comment, she glanced back over at Broots, who was in the midst of getting an autograph from Winnie the Pooh. Placing her hand on her hips, she glared at him once again impatiently and he squirmed a bit uneasily as he caught her glare. Thanking Winnie for the autograph, he took his book back and ran over to her.

"Gee, I didn't know we were having playtime! Must have missed the memo," she snapped, annoyed.

"S-sorry, Miss Parker. It's just that I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was a kid." Broots stammered.

"Really, Broots, I never knew that about you." Sydney stated, smiling at him.

"Yes. Whenever I was sick, my mom used to read it to me. Then when I got old enough, I used to read it to her. I even dragged an old stuffed bear around for years." Broots smiled at the memory.

"Can we save the walk down memory lane for another time?" Miss Parker bit out as another herd of children rushed past her. 

"Sorry, guess this place just brings back alot of memories for me." Broots responded. 

"Can we just find Wonderboy and get the hell out of here?" Parker snapped, pushing pass the crowd and making her way into the park. She watched as families passed, engaged in laughter. She secretly envied them, wishing her family could have been more normal. A part of her understood what Jarod was doing here although she had no idea why he chose to torture himself with such things. The past was the past and no amount of soul searching could change that.

"Wow! Syd, look! It's Space Mountain!" Broots gasped out wholeheartedly.

"BROOTS! Focus!" Miss Parker growled, clenching her fists in his face.

"Right. Sorry, Miss Parker, it's just I haven't been on that ride since I was a teenager. Have you ever been on it? It is really amazing. See, it's a roller coaster that's inside a building and it's really dark. You kind of feel like your flying..." Broots began to ramble.

"BROOTS!" she screamed, growing more agitated with him.

"Sorry... again," he whispered.

"You need to stay calm, Parker. Letting yourself get so worked up is not healthy for you. Broots was just trying to share an experience with you. One he obviously remembers fondly." Sydney interjected.

"We are not here for that, Syd. We are here to find Jarod and put him back in his cage." Miss Parker snapped.

"Is that what you think this is about, Parker?" Sydney inquired softly.

"That IS what this is about, Syd. I am here to do my job, to return your monkey to his cage and get on with my life."

"You can't honestly still think Jarod belongs at the Center after all we have learned." Sydney stated, shocked.

"It doesn't matter what I think, Syd. My job is to return him." Miss Parker sat down on a bench and looked around.

Sydney was speechless; he had no idea what to say to her. He had been so sure that after all they had been through that she had changed her way of thinking about Jarod. 'Maybe you really are a foolish old man,' he scolded himself. He shook his head in disbelief as he took in his surrounds. What was his prodigy up to anyway? Was it really about his childhood or was he in Disney World for something more important, perhaps another one of his endless missions to save the weak and abused. 

"Well, this place is huge, we will never find him just wandering around like idiots. Do we have any idea where Wonderboy has set up camp?" Miss Parker growled out, frustrated.

"Well no, not really. I mean maybe I can hack into the employee mainframe and find out if he is working here." Broots suggested.

"Well what are you waiting for, an open invitation?" Miss Parker hissed.

"Oh, right, I'll get right on it. I'll be at the hotel if you need me."

"Broots?" Miss Parker called after him.

"Yeah." 

"Find out if he is staying in the same hotel and if he is not, find out where he is staying."

"I'll get right on it." Broots said, wandering off in the direction of the monorail station.

"Well, he is your monkey, where do you think he might be?" Parker asked Sydney.

"Miss Parker, is everything alright with you? I mean you have been through a lot in such a short time. It would be understandable if you were feeling a bit overwhelmed."

"I'm fine, Syd, business as usual. Come on, let's find Jarod before he wanders off on us again." She started walking away from him. She was far from fine, but there was nothing Sydney could do to change that and she saw no point in spilling her guts to him. She hadn't been sleeping well and she was exhausted. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived the last few moments on the plane with her father. All she could think of was whether he was dead or alive. They had sent out search parties for weeks after the incident, but no any sign of him or the scrolls had ever found. There was a part of her that believed he was still very much alive and it killed her. 

"Miss Parker, we will never find him just wandering around, you said that yourself. Why don't we just go back to the hotel and see what Broots can find?" Sydney suggested.

"Good idea, you head back with Broots. I'm going to look around on my own for a bit." She stated, still far away in thought.

"Miss Parker, are you sure you're alright?"

"I told you, Syd, I'm fine. Call me on my cell when you have something solid." She said, walking away from him.

Sydney watched her until she was swallowed up by the masses. He was worried about her, but knew she was far too stubborn to accept any help from him. She was so much like a daughter to him and at times her aloofness hurt him. He found more times than not that extending a hand out to her usually resulted it being almost bitten off. He smiled, thinking back to the few times she had come to him, they had filled his heart and his only hope was that she could come to him again when she was ready. He stood for a minute longer to assure she was really gone then headed back to the monorail station as well.

Miss Parker wandered around the rest of the park on her own. She wasn't sure if she was really looking for Jarod or her own childhood. Things had been so different since her return from the Island. Having Lyle and Raines as best buddies made her nauseous at best; not to mention the fact that Lyle seemed to wholeheartedly embrace the idea of Raines being their father. She had other feelings on the subject, but no one to voice them to. She had never felt as alone as she did right there in the midst of thousands of people around her. But more than all of that, what bothered her the most was that she missed Jarod. She missed just being near him, hearing his voice and that tiny mole under his eye. Their time on the Island had changed something inside her. Jarod was right, she was at a turning point, the only problem was which way she should turn and who would she be facing when she did.

The ringing of her cell phone brought her back to the task at hand. She pulled it from her pocket and hissed out her usual, "What?"

"Amazing isn't it?" Jarod's happy voice came over the phone.

"Yeah, a real thrill. What is the point of all this, Jarod?" Parker grumbled into the phone.

"The point is to have a little bit of fun, Miss Parker. You do know how to have fun, don't you?"

She didn't answer. She didn't know how to. It had been what seemed like a lifetime since she'd had any fun. Not since Tommy had she laughed out of pure amusement. Fun... what was that? She knew better than to confess such a thing to Jarod. He would immediately begin a full-fledged attack on her about something that she was hardly in the mood for considering, the current state of her life.

"Miss Parker?" Jarod called into the phone. "Are you still there?"

"What are you trying to do to me, Jarod? What do you want from me?" she asked softly, on the verge of tears.

"I am trying to teach you that life can be better, Miss Parker. I don't want anything from you. It is what I want FOR you." Jarod said just before the line went dead.

'Damn it, Jarod, can't you ever just answer a question without some cryptic message.' She thought to herself as she snapped the phone shut. 'Who in the hell does Wonderboy think he is anyway, dragging me across the country with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. He wants to teach me how to have fun; well I have a few lessons for his sorry ass too. And what gives him the right to want anything for me? I take care of me and I am doing a pretty fine job all by myself.' She dropped the phone into her pocket and turned around to find herself face to face with a little girl.

"Are you a princess?" The little girl asked, smiling sweetly up at her.

"Hardly." Parker growled.

"Really? Cuz you sure look like a princess to me. Are you sure you're not a princess?" The girl insisted.

"Trust me, I know who I am and I am definitely not a princess." Parker hissed, annoyed.

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you. You are just so beautiful that I figured you must be a princess. I'll leave you alone now." The little girl said sadly, hanging her head and walking away.

Miss Parker looked down at her and something in her clicked. She suddenly saw herself at five years old in silent worship of her mother and quite sure that Catherine Parker was indeed a princess in disguise. In a moment of weakness or at least she felt it was, she called the child back. The little girl came running up to her, smiling widely.

"Yes," the little girl said, stopping just inches from Parker.

"Can you keep a secret?" Miss Parker whispered, kneeling down to the child's level.

The little girl nodded her head in response, still smiling widely.

"What is your name?" Parker asked, looking at her.

"My name is Melanie, but you can call me Mel." The little girl answered.

"Well you see, Mel, you were right. I am a princess, but I'm hiding, that's why I told you I wasn't one." Parker whispered to her, smiling now as well.

"I knew it! Who are you hiding from? Your evil step mom or maybe it's a witch?" The little girl asked excitedly.

"You won't tell anyone you saw me, will you?" Miss Parker played along.

"I won't. I promise." Mel said, extending her pinky out to Parker, who looked at her confused. "Pinky Promise. Here, give me your pinky."

Miss Parker held out her hand and Mel linked pinkies with her and shook them up and down. Parker smiled in spite of herself.

"What is your name?" Mel asked, letting go of Miss Parker's pinky.

"My name?" Parker gasped out, a bit shocked.

"Yes, you do have one, don't you?" Mel teased her.

"Her name is Princess Parker and she is hiding from the evil king of Iceland." A familiar voice called from behind them.

Miss Parker spun around to find Jarod standing just a foot or so behind them. She glared at him and contemplated reaching for her gun. Looking back over at Melanie, she pushed the thought from her head.

"Who are you?" Mel asked Jarod. "Are you her prince charming, who has come to save her from the evil king?"

"What do you think?" Jarod said, bending down to Mel and winking at her.

"I think you are." Mel said with a grin. "You're very handsome and you look very brave. Aren't you happy that he has come to rescue you from Iceland, Princess Parker?"

Parker just glared at him speechless, until she felt Melanie's small hand slide into hers. Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded in agreement.

"Melanie, leave those poor people alone." a woman's voice called from the right. "I am so sorry, she is too friendly for her own good." A dark haired woman said, pulling Melanie away from them by her hand.

"She was no bother at all." Jarod said, standing. "She is very sweet."

"Thank you and I'm sorry. She just loves to meet new people." Melanie's mother stated. "Say goodbye, Melanie."

"Goodbye, it was so nice to meet you both," Melanie said sweetly and then grabbed Parker around the legs and hugged her.

"It was nice to meet you too." Miss Parker said, a bit uneasy at the newly acquired audience.

"Melanie, what did I tell you about hugging strangers." He mother scolded her as she pulled her away.

"Wait, Mama, just let me tell her one more thing please, it's very important." Mel said, darting out of her mother's grasp and running back over to Parker. Yanking Parker down to her again by the hand, she whispered. "I hope you and Prince Charming make it safely away from the evil king and that you get to live together happily ever after." Then she released Parker and ran off to catch up with her mom.

Miss Parker stood back up, watching as Melanie disappeared into the crowd. Then she turned ready to give Jarod a piece of her mind and a swift kick in the ass for his latest stunt. He was gone, vanished in the crowd. She looked around furiously. What gave him the right to just waltz in and out of her life? Who in the hell did he think he was? She hated that he seemed to be one of the many things in her life she had no control over. She hated that he never said goodbye too, always just vanished as if he had never come at all. She threw her hands up in the air and stormed back to the monorail station. If she ever needed a drink, it was now and she had every intention of getting one.

When she got back to the hotel, she grabbed the elevator and headed to her room, bound and determined to raid the courtesy bar. She unlocked the door and slipped inside. Kicking off her heels and tossing her gun on the bed, she walked over and opened the door. She grabbed a tiny bottle of vodka, unscrewed the lid and downed it. As the burning sensation of the clear liquor numbed her raging emotions, she slumped down on the bed. Exhaustion getting the better of her, she crawled up to the pillows and closed her eyes.

The ringing of her cell phone pulled her from sleep a few hours later. She fumbled around looking for the phone, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Finally grasping it, she murmured, "What," in a soft groggy voice.

"Miss Parker?" Broots voice bellowed into the phone.

"What do you want, Broots?"

"Are you sleeping?"

"Not anymore. What do you want?" She grumbled, rolling to sit up on the bed.

"Syd and I think we may know where Jarod is staying."

Yawning and stretching, she opened her eyes to find a large white box sitting on the table across from the bed. She looked around, sure that it had not been there when she came into the room earlier. Her interest peaked she got off the bed and headed to the table. A large white envelope was taped to the top of the box. On it, written in Jarod's handwriting, was her name. She shook her head and slid her finger under the flap to open it.

"Miss Parker? Are you still there?" Broots asked, concerned by her silence.

"Yeah, I'm here," she answered, pulling the note out of the envelope and reading it to herself.

Princess Parker,

Your presence is requested this evening in the grand ballroom of the Polynesian Hotel

at eight pm. Proper attire for the evening can be found in the gift box below.

Prince Charming

"Smart ass." Miss Parker grumbled aloud as she read.

"What did you say?" Broots asked, confused.

"Never mind. What were you saying?"

"I said Syd and I think we have located Jarod."

"Let me guess, he is staying at the Polynesian hotel." She hissed, tossing the card on the bed and staring at the box again.

"How did you know that?" Broots asked surprised

"Call it a lucky guess." Parker sneered, snapping the phone shut and pulling the lid off the box. "What are you up to now, Wonderboy?"

She reached inside the box and pulled out a graceful and feminine empire gown in ice blue satin-back crepe. The bodice was overlaid with floral lace and edged in venise trim, adorned with ornate venise appliqués. It had pearl straps and a flowing overskirt with matching shawl of delicate pointe d'espirt edged in lace. There was also a pair of white strappy four-inch heels. She smiled in spite of herself for the second time that day. "Well, Wonderboy, you are a pain in the ass, but you do have taste." she said aloud, lying the clothes out on the bed. She looked at the clock; it was almost six. Taking a deep breath, she contemplated the war that had ensued in her head since she had read his note. "Back to that turning point," she sighed, walking over to the courtesy bar and grabbing another tiny bottle of liquor. She downed it like the first and stood staring at the clothes.

"Well, Parker, are you just going to sit around all night or are you going to go catch your pretender?" she mumbled to her reflection in the mirror. In a moment, she had made up her mind and headed to take a shower. Two hours later, she was dressed to kill. She took one last look in the mirror and headed out to find the Grand Ballroom in the Polynesian. Her cell phone rang just as she stepped out her door. "What!" she snapped.

"Miss Parker, Broots and I have been working all day and all we know is that Jarod is or was staying at the Polynesian Hotel. Is there anything else you want us to do?" Sydney's voice echoed in the receiver.

"Yes, why don't you take Broots for a ride on Space Mountain? Get the geek some cotton candy and a coke and don't call me until tomorrow."

"Miss Parker, are you alright?" Sydney asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"I'm fine, Syd. You guys have been working your asses off; go have some fun. I'll talk to you tomorrow." she smiled and snapped the phone closed. 

A few minutes later, she was standing outside the ballroom. She took a deep breath and pushed the doors open. The room was filled with people all dressed as storybook characters. She glanced around the sea of faces but did not see Jarod among them. She sighed and began to make her way over to the bar in the corner. As she crossed the room, a woman grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around. She was just about to throttle the woman when she met her kind, old wrinkled eyes.

"Miss Parker, we meet at last." The old woman said, throwing her arms around her in an embrace. "Ye look so much like yer mum it's a bit scary."

"You knew my mother?" Miss Parker asked shocked, pulling her arm away from the woman.

"Of course I knew her. This is her foundation after all, I've just been running it since she passed." The woman chuckled.

"What foundation?" Parker asked confused.

"What do you mean what foundation? Why the Catherine Parker Foundation for Lost and Forgotten Children, of course. We've been up and running for about thirty-five years now. Haven't ye heard of us, love?" 

"No. What kind of work do you do?" Parker asked, still stunned by what she was hearing.

"Oh, all sorts of things, but ye mum's favorite was always the fairy tale ball we give every year for the children from the local hospital. We almost didn't make it this year, but our Catherine must have been looking out for us and sent us an angel. If he hadn't come in at the last minute to fund our ball this year, I am afraid it would not have been." 

"Where is this angel of yours?" Parker asked, cocking an eyebrow at the woman. She knew it had to be Jarod.

"Ahhh, Jarod is over there getting the children ready for a story." The woman turned and pointed to a small corner flooded with children, in the center of the group was Jarod.

"If you will excuse me, I would love to have a word with him." Miss Parker said, bidding the woman goodbye.

She began her journey across the room, but was stopped every few feet by various people who wanted to thank her and her family for all they had done. They all wanted to share their stories with her and she listened contently to each one until at last, she made it across the room. She could not help, but notice how dashing Jarod looked in his white tails. His tie and vest was a perfect match in color to the blue of her dress. She was just about to yank him from the group and give him a piece of her mind when she felt tiny arms wrap around her legs. She looked down to see Mel hanging on to her.

"OH, Princess Parker, I knew you would come, I knew you would. Mama said not to get my hopes up, but I knew you would be here." Mel squealed happily.

"Let me get a good look at you." Miss Parker said softly, pulling her back a bit and looking her over. "Why, Miss Melanie, you look as pretty as a princess."

"Thank you. I am supposed to be you, Princess Parker." Mel said proudly. "Mr. Jarod helped me find just what you would wear."

"Where is my Prince Charming anyway?" Parker asked, knowing the answer.

"Over there." Mel pointed to the corner where he was sitting with a small, frail looking boy on his lap.

'He looks so happy,' Parker thought as she stood looking at him laughing at some joke his young companion was whispering in his ear. He did not seem to notice her and she rather liked just being able to look at him without his knowledge. So often in their lives, it was he who could watch her. Mel pulled on her dress a bit, begging her to join them, but Parker politely declined and moved over to the bar where she could remain unseen by his eyes, but keep him in hers.

"The notorious Miss Parker, I presume." The bartender smiled and handed her a glass of champagne

"Sorry, have we met?" she asked, sipping her drink.

"No, but Jarod has told me so much about you that I feel like I know you already." The bartender smiled

"Well, don't believe everything you hear." she called over her shoulder as she turned to survey the room. She watched as the couples moved about the dance floor and her mind drifted back to a faded memory she had almost forgotten.

She was eleven years old and sitting all alone in Sydney's office listening to an old record her father no longer permitted at home. It was one of her mother's favorite songs and as if on instinct, she had begun to move to the music.

"What are you doing?" a young Jarod asked from the doorway.

"Why, dancing, of course. That is what you do to music, don't you?" A young Parker snapped sarcastically.

"What do you mean dancing?" Jarod asked, confused.

"Oh, don't you know anything. You know for a genius, you really are dumb sometimes." She sneered, walking over and pulling him into her. "Here, put your hand in mine and this one goes around my back." She pulled his arm around her waist and looked up to meet his eyes. "Now follow me; one two three, one two three...That's it, just keep moving now step back and to the side and OUCH that's my toe, watch it!"

"Can I get you another?" The bartender asked, pulling her back to the present.

"Bring the bottle, cowboy, it's gonna be a long night." Parker sneered, handing him her glass.

"I see we are still clinging to unhealthy habits, Miss Parker." Jarod called to her.

"Well, I see we are still playing the torture Miss Parker game." She sneered, downing her second glass of champagne.

"I have never wanted to torture you, Parker, only to show you the truth." Jarod responded, turning her to look at him. "I just wanted to say that what you did today for Melanie was very sweet."

"Yeah well, call me Mary Poppins from now on," she hissed back at him. Miss Parker felt a gentle tug on her gown and she looked down, expecting to find Mel attached to her, but instead found the little boy from Jarod's lap standing before her, his large dark eyes looking up at her, completely smitten. They expressed a longing that Jarod knew all too well.

"Miss Parker, I would like you to meet a good buddy of mine. This is Owen Davis." Jarod smiled down at him.

"May I have this dance?" Owen whispered weakly, smiling at her.

A look of worry came over Jarod's face as he and Owen waited for her reply. Jarod hoped she would let him down gently. Gently, he wasn't even sure that was one of the words in her vocabulary these days. He looked over at her, pleading with his eyes for her to be kind, but she never met his eyes. His heart was racing and he began to think up what he would say to console his young friend when she dismissed the idea.

"I would love to." Parker said softly, much to the surprise of both her companions. She took the boy's hand in hers and led him to the dance floor where she lifted him into her arms.

Jarod watched in amazement as she twirled Owen around the room. She never stopped surprising him and it was one of the things he had always loved about her. Just then, she laughed as the boy whispered some unknown secret in her ear and Jarod remembered what if felt like to be the cause of that beautiful smile. His heart longed for her as he watched them, wishing it was he that was in her arms making her laugh.

"You were right, Jarod, she is one hell of a beauty." The bartender said from behind him.

"That she is, Tony, that she is." Jarod said, never taking his eyes off her.

"So what are you waiting for?" Tony cocked an eyebrow at him. "Go get the lady back."

"I told you it's complicated." Jarod said sadly.

"Do you still love her?"

"With all that I am." Jarod answered, still watching her.

"Then you gotta tell her, man. I watch a lot of people come in and outta here who don't have a chance in hell at making it, but they are trying. Jarod, I see the way you look at each other. You two got something most people only dream of. You're a fool if you let it slip away."

As the song came to an end, Jarod made his way across the floor to her. He tapped on her young partner's shoulder and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Owen, may I cut in?" The little boy smiled and nodded his head. He leaned in and kissed Parker's cheek then wiggled out of her arms, sliding to the ground.

Miss Parker just stared at Jarod dumbfounded, her heart racing as he pulled her into his arms. A million tiny sensations ran through her as his fingers grasped hers and his arm slide tenderly around her waist. 

"What in the hell do you think you're doing, Wonderboy?" She snarled, trying to yank herself out of his grasp.

"Dancing with you," He smiled, pulling her closer to him.

"Jarod, we can't do this," she murmured softly, her blue eyes pleading with him helplessly.

"Why not? It's just a dance, right?" Jarod smiled as the music began to swell around them. "You look amazing tonight," were the last words she heard as he swept her into the dance.

They read you Cinderella, you hoped it would come true   
  
and one day a Prince Charming would come rescue you.   
  
You like romantic movies and you never will forget,   
  
the way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet.

The crowd around them seemed to disappear. It was just they alone, moving perfectly to the rhythm of the music. The sweet crisp smell of his cologne intoxicated her more than any hard liquor ever could and she could feel the emotions she had locked away begin to unfold inside her. Here she was with her prince charming, her Romeo and the world was lost to that. Holding his eyes, she fell deeper and deeper under his spell.

And all this time that you've been waiting,   
  
You don't have to wait no more,   
  
I can love you like that, I would make you my world,   
  
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl,   
  
I would give you my heart, be all that you need,   
  
Show you you're everything that's precious to me,   
  
If you give me a chance, I can love you like that,   
  
(I can love you like that, I can love you like that)

His eyes was dazzling in the soft glow of the tiny white lights that filled the room like a sky full of stars. She was taken back to that night in Sydney's office when they were children. He was a better dancer now, she realized, as he seemed to have her almost floating off the floor with his movements. She could see the past in his eyes, all those quiet moments they had spent waltzing to the forbidden sounds of her mother's favorite songs. She was eleven years old again and in the arms of her best friend and first love. 

So when I say forever, forever's what I mean,   
  
Well I'm no Casanova, but I swear this much is true,   
  
I'll be holding nothing back when it comes to you.   
  
You dream of love that's everlasting,   
  
well baby open up your eyes,

I can love you like that, I would make you my world,   
  
Move heaven and earth, if you were my girl,   
  
I would give you my heart, be all that you need,   
  
Show you you're everything that's precious to me,   
  
If you give me a chance, I can love you like that,   
  
(I can love you like that, I can love you like that)

Jarod could see the change in her eyes as the ice queen melted and his childhood sweet heart emerged, shaky and unsure, before him. He pulled her in closer, not a word yet spoken between them. He wanted her to know he understood her fears. He could see them plainly in her eyes, but to speak would be to risk shattering the illusion and he refused to lose it just yet. Her skin was radiate; softly sun kissed and blushed. Her hair, a bit lighter than on the island, was twisted with tiny stands gently cascading around her face in delicate curls. She smelled sweet and fresh as if the spring breeze from outdoors had entangled itself with her. He committed every detail to memory as they continued to dance.

If you want tenderness, I got tenderness   
  
and I see through to the heart of you.   
  
If you want a man who can understand,   
  
you don't have to look very far.   
  
I can love you,   
  
I can love you, love you, 

I can love you like that, I would make you my world,   
  
Move heaven and earth, if you were my girl,   
  
I would give you my heart, Be all that you need,   
  
Show you you're everything that's precious to me,   
  
If you give me a chance, I can love you like that,   
  
If ya let me love ya, You're everything to me girl. 

The song ended, as did the moment when the crowd around them erupted into thunderous applause. They were ripped from the quiet comfort of each other's eyes and forced back to reality. Miss Parker pulled away from him and headed back to the bar. Jarod followed her, determination in every step. He would not let her walk away, not this time, he told himself.

"Are you still looking for answers in the bottom of an empty bottle? Haven't you learned that the only answers that matter are the ones that are inside you? The ones that are cradled in the soul that you keep hidden even from yourself." Jarod whispered in her ear, suddenly leaning into her.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" She snarled, closing her eyes as his warmth flooded over her. 

"Someone who cares about you, someone who has always cared about you, ever since we were children on the opposite sides of the glass."

"That is what we will always be, won't we? Children on opposite sides of the glass, destined to be kept apart, always able to see, but never able to touch." She opened her eyes and laughed sadly.

"They can only keep us apart if you let them, Parker. They only have the power you give them." Jarod said, turning her around to face him. The fear in her eyes tugged at his heart he wanted to hold her, to chase that fear away forever.

"Why did you bring me here?" She said softly. "What do you want from me?"

"I told you it's not what I want from you, it is what I want FOR you, for us." Jarod said lifting his hand to caress her cheek.

"There is no US, Jarod, just you and I." She closed her eyes at the softness of his touch.

"But there is an us, Parker, there always was and there always will be. We are a part of each other whether you want to admit it or not. I knew the first moment my eyes met yours all those years ago as children that our souls would forever be intertwined. That my heart would always belong only to you." He took her hand and placed it over his heart, covering it with his own to hold it there. "Believe in us, Parker, don't let the fear destroy us before we have even begun. You're my best friend."

"No, Jarod, your best friend was a little girl that doesn't exist anymore." Miss Parker scoffed, unnerved by his touch.

"Don't give me that shit, Parker. You know as well as I do that she is still in there, that she is still every bit the part of you she was then. I saw a glimpse of her in your eyes tonight. You can't hide her forever. Someday even the ice queen won't be able to save you from the truth that is inside you. When you're ready to be the woman I know you are... I'll be waiting." He said softly, before walking away. 

She stood staring out at the ocean of faces, wishing she could lose herself. Jarod was right, that little girl was more a part of her than she liked to admit. She closed her eyes, thinking back to their youth and the friendship that had blossomed in a place where most things died. The memories flooded over her like the waves of the sea. She could see them dancing around Sydney's office, climbing through vent shafts, sneaking around dark corners in the middle of the night in search of death, but ultimately finding life. She remembered dreams for a future that would in the end be stolen from them. Opening her eyes, she looked down one last time at the drink in her hand. She was at a turning point and for the first time in her life, she knew exactly which way to turn. Placing the full glass down on the bar, she made her way back across the room

Jarod had settled himself down in the children's corner again and she made her way over to where he was. Mel was asking him for a story as Parker came to stand just a few feet from them, hidden from his sight. Jarod laughed and asked her what story she would like to hear. 

"The one about Princess Parker and the evil Ice king." Melanie piped up, smiling up at him.

"There is no such story Melanie Smellanie." Another child mocked.

"Matthew, that was not nice, tell Mel your sorry." Jarod scolded him. "And if it is Princess Parker she wants, it is Princess Parker she gets." He winked at Mel then he began his story...

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen named Catherine. She was a good and kind woman and all the people in the kingdom loved her, but an evil king put a spell on her and brought her back to his place. She was very sad and lonely until one day she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Soon the Princess's love broke the evil spell over the queen. The queen began to help all the prisoners of the king's palace to escape. When the king found out, he killed the queen and told the Princess never to speak of her again. Well, you see, the princess was very lonely so she would go down to the dungeon to visit a little boy whom the king was keeping prisoner there. The boy had been stolen from his family and was very lonely until he met the Princess. Soon they became the best of friends. They began to fall in love with each other and shared their first kiss. When the king discovered how much they loved each other, he became angry and he banished the princess to the tallest tower of the palace. He told them both lies about the other, but their love was strong. So the king hired an evil wizard named Raines and he cast a spell over the princess turning her heart to ice so she would love the boy no more. Years passed and the boy grew into a man and the princess into a beautiful woman. One day the boy decided to run away from the palace to find his family as his princess no longer seemed to love him. He was very smart, which was why the king wanted to keep him a prisoner, so, he planned his escape and he ran away. Now when the king discovered his prize prisoner was gone, he became very angry. He beckoned his evil henchmen called sweepers to fetch the princess out of the tower and bring her to him. She was happy to see the king as she had always wanted him to love her as her mother had. She did not want to see that he was incapable of loving anyone... even her. He told her that if she brought back the boy she would be free to leave the kingdom. He assigned two lords to help her, Lord Broots of Techvill and Lord Sydney of Mindville. Now the princess and the lords looked very hard for the boy, but could never quite find him. The boy missed his princess very much and would call upon her from time to time to give her clues to where he was. Mostly he wanted to hear her voice or see her face from afar. You see he still loved her very much and missed her. But the wizard saw this and cast his spell again, keeping her heart ice cold. So, the boy ran and the princess chased him for years. They would still talk from time to time and there were even times when the boy thought he had broken the spell over her, but alas, she would return to the ice princess before his eyes..."

"So did the boy ever get to break the spell over the princess?" A little boy piped in.

Miss Parker walked forward, tears brimming in her eyes. "One night on a beautiful Island when the boy and the princess were lost and alone together, the boy began to remind the Princess of who she was. She was afraid of him for she feared if she loved him, the evil king would kill him as he had killed the queen. The Princess knew her heart could bear no more pain, so she told the boy she could not love him. She returned to the palace and was very sad. The king then asked the wizard to bring him a dragon to bring the boy back. The princess knew that the dragon would eat the boy before he would bring him back, so she went looking for the boy first. She found him, as she always knew deep within her how to. As soon as she saw the boy, her heart began to melt and beat again. With just one touch of the boy's hand," Jarod's eyes met Parker's in a tearful embrace as she reached out and took his hand in hers, "She knew she had always loved him and always would."

"And they lived happily ever after." The children yelled.

Jarod and Miss Parker looked deeply into each other's eyes, lost in the confessions they had made.

"Well kiss her already!" Melanie yelled at them from the floor.

Jarod smiled and then pulled Miss Parker into him and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She could feel herself melt into him, but did not fight it any longer. He truly was her prince charming and for once in her life, she was going to let him be just that. She deepened the kiss a bit more before pulling away.

"So do you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?" she whispered in his ear with a light amused laugh.

"Why would I do that?" He asked confused.

"You're hopeless." She laughed.

"Hopelessly in love with you." Jarod said, pulling her back against him. "I want to make all your dreams come true."

"You just did." she smiled and pulled him into another kiss.

The end


End file.
